Jump In The Pool
by Vampires and Penguins
Summary: One-shot of Lily and James. Lily wants to change some things about herself, and James thinks he can help. This is all about how they become friends, not how they get together! I'm no good at summaries, so please read and review!


**Author's Note: Okay- this is an improved version of the last 'Jump In The Pool' fanfic that I wrote and published yesterday. I looked at it again today, and I thought I could impove it, so I had a go at improving it. I hope I've done it okay. I got the title from a song that I like called 'Jump In The Pool' by Friendly Fires. If you haven't heard of it- you should listen to it. It's a good song.  
I haven't abandoned my multi-chaptered fanic 'Memories' though. I'm still writing it, and hopefully there will be an update next week (depends how much I write) But this idea just came to me when I was listening to music on my ipod, and I could get it out of my head until I wrote _something_ down.  
Okay- this is a one-shot about Lily and James. My other fanfic is better, but hopefully you like 'Jump In The Pool.' In a wierd way- I do. So- enjoy!:))**

**Jump In The Pool**

It was the first sunny weekend of Hogwarts. As you can imagine, all of the Hogwarts students were outside, all by the Great Lake. You'd think that we were prisoners who have just seen the outside world for the first time. Some were swimming in the Lake, others just dipped their toes in, and I- well, I just sat next to the Lake and read my book for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind doing this, but when I looked up to see everyone else having fun, splashing about in the water without a care, I felt a twinge of… well, I don't quite know what you call it. I guess for a split second I wanted to join everyone in the lake. But, no, stop thinking like that Lily. You are a Head Girl. _Someone _around here has to make an example.

I looked over at Hogwarts' new Head Boy. Potter. Sorry- don't you know his first name? Okay, his full name is James Potter, but to me he's just Potter. Just Potter.

Anyway, he's there, swimming around in the lake, with most of the population of Hogwarts' girls staring at him like he's something special. It's disgusting. He's not even _that_ good looking, he only thinks that he is…. Okay, okay, I lied. Potter is actually probably the best looking boy in our year to be honest. I just want to think that he isn't.

But I'll tell you one thing, he's also probably the most arrogant boy in our year too.

Well, actually, this year (our final year at Hogwarts) Potter hasn't been too bad. I mean, his head has shrunk a little bit. And I'm on okay terms with him at the moment, only because of our Head duties. And I also think that he's changed a bit aswell. What I mean by that is that he's not asking me out every 10 minutes. Actually, he's stopped altogether.

As I am pondering over this, and the reasons for Potters strange behaviour, I fail to notice him leave the lake and come over to speak to me.

"Evans."

I jumped at Potters voice, and looked up at him.

"God Potter- you scared the bloody life out of me!"

He just smiled at me, saying nothing. I then saw what he looked like. He was soaking wet (well, that was hardly a surprise seeing as he'd just been swimming), and his black hair was plastered to his face. And yet, he seemed to be able to pull it off. He still looked like the best looking boy in Hogwarts. I wondered for a second how he did it. How did he just _look_ like that- so effortlessly.

That was when my brain kicked into gear.

"So- any reason for coming over to me?"

I wondered if he was going to ask me to go out with him. No, he's over all that now surely. Don't be stupid Lily.

"Well," he answered, "I was just wondering if you were going to come and join everyone in the lake- I know that Alice wishes you came over. She said I wouldn't be able to convince you to join us, but… well, I just thought I'd try."

I smiled.

"Sorry, but I'm not really a ''Jump In The Lake' sort of person. I'm not very adventurous, see…."

Potter looked at me intently.

"Well, I don't see swimming in the lake as adventurous."

I tilted my head to the side and said, "Well- what do you see it as then?"

Potter thought for a moment, and then he sat down on the grass next to me.

"Evans, have you ever wished that you could change a certain part of you?"

I looked intently at him, wondering whether or not to tell him the truth. In the end I did.

"I always wish that."

"Really?" His hazel eyes were shocked, and I had just realised that Potter wasn't wearing his glasses. I wondered for a moment whether he could see me properly or not.

I nodded at him.

"Well then- I think what I'm going to say will help you."

I signalled with my hand for him to go ahead.

"Well- I always wish that I can change things about myself too. Sometimes, I hat who I am. That's how I felt at the start of this year. I have made, so many mistakes in my life, and I wanted to try to turn those mistakes around. But I found that I needed a kind of- release to change. And I found that release in jumping in the Great Lake. It sounds so weird, but it's what I do. I make a list of all of the things I want to change in myself, and I run through them in my head just before I am about to jump in. Whether that be.. I dunno, like, I'll stop being such a prat, or something. That's a crap example, but it's one I've used. And after I've done it, jumped in that is, I feel so refreshed. It's like I'm almost a different person. It's like I've made a clean slate on life, and I'm then able to forget everything that has happened to me that I don't like. I feel so much better with myself. And, it's worked. I've actually stuck to the promises I've made."

I raised my eyebrows

"…To some extent." Potter said, and I laughed.

"So- what's all of this got to do with me?" I asked.

"I dunno- maybe you should try it Evans. Have fun. I've seen you look like you want to jump in. But I just don't know what's stopping you."

Potter looked at me, then looked all around us, where I was suddenly surprised to find people. I was so wrapped up in Potters conversation, I had forgotten about the rest of our school being there. It was as though me and Potter were in our own little bubble.

I became accustomed to other peoples conversations as me and Potter were silent for a while.

"Why did you tell me this? You didn't have to tell me all about yourself."

Potter shrugged.

"I guess I thought that I could trust you. But now I'm guessing you just think I'm a bit of a freak, huh?"

I laughed.

"Of course not- to be honest, what you said actually made sense… surprisingly."

Potter raised his eyebrows.

"Well- it has been known for me to talk sense _sometimes_, Evans."

Potter stood up, and I was a bit taken aback.

"W-Where are you going?"

"Back to the Lake- I'm getting cold. You may be fully dressed Evans, but I'm in swimming shorts and I'm wet. You wouldn't like your dear Potter to get hypothermia now, would you?"

I shook my head and laughed, but as Potter turned away, he turned back to me.

"Oh- I forgot to ask- please don't tell anyone what I said about me. Even Sirius doesn't know about it."

"Okay- I'm not telling anyone."

I mimed zipping my mouth with my hand and Potter said,

"Thanks Evans."

I watched as Potter went back to the lake, and jumped in, splashing Sirius as much as possible. I smiled as I thought.

Maybe swimming in the lake would make me more like the person I wanted to be. I mean, I liked being me, Lily Evans, but I wanted to add a bit more to the rule-abiding Head Girl I was.

I brought out a notebook and quill, and started to write.

_**Things Lily Evans Would Like To Change **_

_I would like to break at least one school rule_

_Worry less about exams_

_Worry less about where I am going to go in life i.e. LIVE FOR THE MOMENT_

_I shouldn't care what people think of me. _

With that last one, I try not to care about what people think of me, and yet I still do. My friends think I don't. In fact, everyone thinks I don't, but I do. I can't say that when people call me control-freak, or make fun of my hair colour (which is red by the way) that it doesn't hurt me. But I get on with it, maybe give them a comment back. What they don't know is that at night I'll worry about it, and sometimes get upset. I know I shouldn't, but I do.

So, maybe what Potter is saying is right. I need a clean slate on life (if that's what he was saying) I can't stand being like this anymore. And, I mean, I'm not changing who I am. I'm just enhancing who I am. Yeah- that's all.

But- do I really need to jump in the lake, in order to do all of these?

I looked over to the lake in which the rest of my school were currently amusing themselves. I saw the look on people's faces that were in the pool- I mean, Lake. They looked so alive. So- so refreshed. They were screaming in delight at being in the water, and the air was full of everyone's loud voices of joy. I longed to be that joyful, and to feel that alive.

And that was where I made my decision. I wouldn't jump in the pool of a new life that was the Lake at just this moment, but I definitely would. And soon.

***************

That is how I am now stood next to the Lake all alone at 10 O'clock at night.

I came down to the Lake with my swimwear underneath my uniform, so no-one would know what I was doing. I came down to the Lake determined, and put my bag down on the ground next to me.

I started to take off my school uniform, and I revealed the blue bikini that was underneath my clothes. I couldn't help but feel stupid as I looked all around me and wondered what would happen if a teacher found me.

_Well, _I thought,_ At least this is one of your items ticked of your list. _

So I forced myself to look ahead, straight into the Lakes depths. I stood for a while just staring into the water, trying to will myself to jump, and trying to ignore how cold I was getting in the night air. I released my hair from it's plait, and let it swing around me. Another thing to add to my list: I must let my hair down more often. Both in the literal and metaphorical level.

"Fancy seeing you here."

I jumped and whirled around just to look into thin air for a second before Potter's head appeared from no-where. I almost screamed in fright at the sight of Potters head with no body before he said

"Sssshhhhhh! Lily- I have an Invisibility Cloak! That's why you can only see my head!"

I'd heard he had an Invisibility Cloak, I just hadn't seen him use it before.

Until now.

"Potter- what are you doing here?" I asked angrily.

"I'm just doing what I told you I do today. I'm jumping in the Lake. I sometimes come here on my own, and I just felt like it tonight."

But I could see the smirk on his face as he looked over me. I suddenly wished I had my school uniform on again.

"You saw me come down here, didn't you?"

Potter shrugged.

"I may have."

"You prat."

Potter threw the Invisibility Cloak off him fully, and I could see that he only had on his swimming shorts again. That was twice in one day. So he was definitely planning on swimming then. I also made a mental note that Potter may also be the fittest boy in Hogwarts too, but I couldn't dwell on that for too long as I was more worried about the fact that Potter was staring at me again.

"So- are you even going to speak then Potter?"

"Yeah- when are we jumping in?"

"You can, but y'know what? I think I'll leave it for tonight now."

There was no way that I was doing my 'change of life' with Potter. I picked up my school shirt and started to put it back on again.

"Aw- come on Lily- I mean- Evans-"

"…Did you just call me Lily?"

"Ummm…yeah."

Potter went quiet again.

"Why?" I asked. I thought that it was our 'thing' to call each other by our last names.

"Well- that's what I wanted to change tonight. Y'know, when I jumped in the Lake. That's what I was going to call you after. I thought it would be better that we were on first name terms. Y'know, cause of the Head duties and all that. And I kinda hoped…"

I wondered what he was going to say.

"That… maybe…"

Oh God- he's going to ask me out again, isn't he? I knew he hadn't changed. Knew it. No. No. no, no, no, no, no! Typical Potter, letting me think that he was maybe half-decent-

"That maybe…. We could be… friends? Maybe?"

What did he just say? Friends? I have to admit it- I was shocked.

"Friends?… yeah, um, I guess so then…. James."

I held out my hand for him to shake, which he did.

"So, come on Lily- when are we gonna jump in?"

"Um, well, isn't it a bit cold now? The waters gonna be freezing!"

James looked at me confusedly.

"Don't tell me you have _never _been in suddenly cold water before?"

"Well, yeah, like in the shower and stuff. The hot waters run out before when I was in the shower and-"

Potter- I mean- James, held his hands up for me to stop. "Lily- stop there. Unless you want me to go off in a dream about you in the shower, I suggest you stop talking about it."

I hit him on the arm.

"Well, that's the only experience I've had with suddenly cold water, so…"

"So- this will be your first time of being really frozen then, yeah?"

I nodded, and took my school shirt off again. I was really going to do this.

"You could have kept your school shirt on- it might have helped a bit with the cold," said James.

_Yeah- and it might have helped to keep your brain off me too, _I thought.

Lily- stop it. Give the boy a chance to be your friend.

"Ah- if I'm gonna be freezing, I might as well get frozen fully." I said.

We both smiled.

We stood on the edge of the lake, and as I looked into the looming water, I tried to think over what I wanted to change about myself.

But the only thing I could think of was 'Call Potter James,' and that wasn't even on my list.

James was next to me saying under his breath

"Call Evans Lily, call Evans Lily…"

He looked at me and said, "After 3 then. 1.…"

Oh God I wasn't ready yet!

"2.."

No- I couldn't remember what I wanted to change! James stop!

"...3!"

We jumped into the water, and the effect was instantaneous.

My body froze with the shock of the cold water, and my heart felt like it would leap out of my body. I tried to come back up to the surface to get more air but I found I couldn't. So I shut all my senses down, and calmed to the fact I was drowning. Naturally, I then rose to the surface, and breathed in the welcome warm air that, 5 seconds ago, was cold to me. The freezing water then engulfed me into it's depths, but for the first time for as long as I can remember- I felt free.

I tried to find James, but all I could see was the blackness of the water I was surrounded by.

That was until I experienced someone hugging me in the water from behind.

"Lily!" James shouted hoarsely, "You did it! Ha! I can't believe you actually jumped with me!"

All I could do was laugh as the icy water became home to me now. It was cool, it was refreshing. I couldn't see what problem I had with jumping in now. I loved it in the water, and what surprised me was the fact that I also loved the fact the James was now here. I probably would have bottled out of it.

We swam for a while, in the Lake, and I enjoyed the fact that I felt I could be or do anything now. I felt so powerful, and yet I registered the fact that I was so powerless compared to what the water could do to me. However, I made peace with the water around me, and (even though I felt silly) I thanked it for letting me have this opportunity to life.

I could then feel James pulling on my wrist, pulling me towards the land and I obeyed. We climbed out of the water, and laughed together in the darkness of the night.

I looked at James' warm hazel eyes which were full of enthusiasm and happiness, and surprisingly I felt at home.

"James, "I said, panting, "Thanks.. So much… I don't think I would have…. Been able to do that… without you.."

"S'ok..….What are friends for?" He said, wrapping a towel around me. I looked at him again, and saw something in his eyes when he thought I wasn't looking.

Even though he said friends, I could see something there which suggested more.

I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Friends. I guess I could live with that. For now.

**I hope you like it! Reviews are always welcome to me, as they are to every writer. I like to know if people enjoyed something, so please review!!  
Hope you weren't too disappointed in it. (it feels so wierd not saying 'I'll try to update soon') So- yeah, hopefully that was a good few minutes of reading for you! Bye:P**


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